Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-09-09
1alls ress a,ld aakotaiap
GOLD OIT OF GREASE.
FORTUNES MADE IN BOXING FOR.
PETROLEUM OIL.

FORTUNES MADE IN BOXING FoR
PETROLEUM OIL.
"A Poor Irish Lad-Beginning as . Me.
NAL and Winding Up q Fou- Times
John McKeown's Fabu-
Ious Wealth and Lucky strikes-old
MA McCray's Luck and Misfortune.
On CITY, Penn, Sept. s.-The ackle
goddess, fortune, has. cut some mad-cap
capers in the oil country. Anything ike
an account OF her eccentricities wouid fll
shook as big as Don Qnixote,n but a
few notable instances may be picked out
here and there. The oil producer who ia
filing. b g. the pas.ic
eye to-day Is John McKeown. of Wash
fngton, Penn, and in. him we have the
most conspicuous example of q success
full oil producer. McKeown arrived in
America from Ireland about the time the
first big strikes on Oil Greek set the
country wild with excitement, and went
to work on the creek near Petroleum
Center, as a day laborer. His first work
was grading for derricks and tank-seats.
. class of work which averages up pretty
we'll with shoveling on q new railroad.
The wages were about 81 a day. While
working with pick aud shovel around
other mems oil wells, McKeown,s widest
dreams could not have carried him to
dizzier heights than he has since achieved.
His fortune to-day Is estimated at "a, OCO.-
QUO, and he is adding to it at che rate Of
several hundred dollars . day. His prof
IT'D from one we'll on the Martin farm,
Washington county have been nearly
vi, 000, goo since June 20 last. This well
started at eighty barrels an hour. IN
creased to 40 barrels an honr, and In all
has produced almost 100, 600 barrels Of
OIL MeKeown has half a dozen big
wells NJ this district, mons approaching
this one In richness, but all Of them im-
r~nersely valuable. 1t il not likely that
he will ever drop his bundle, y an SO
many oil men have done and will do
again. Hell vonderfully careful and
conservative in his operations. He has
his money largely invested In real estate
In tho south and west. Aad also owns
valuable property In Baltimore. Some OF
his money is In cattls ranches which
yield him = good return. MoKeownss
first successful strike In oil was early In
the seventies on the Story farm, In But
Ter county He invested his savings here
In what wRs known as "a sucker-rod
belt'--n marrow strip of prolific territory
-Twherc he drilled a few wells. They
were good wells, and he sold ont here to
the Columbia oil company for $40, 900
cash. With tn $ money he went to Brad
ford, where he secured d number OF ex.
cellent leases on the Bingham estate.
HIS operations were uniformity success-
full, and IL WIS not long until lie control
led nearly all Of the Bingham lands.
one OF the largest and richest tracts in
the great Bradford basin. From here he
went to Wolf Creek, also In the Brad
ford field, He drilled well after well.
n his Mascot dihd't desert him IN
hardly a single venture. Such wonderful
good fortune hos attended but few op.
orators In any business. and John Ma.
KeoWn lsft the Bradford oil field worth
anywhere from 81, 900, 900 to az, 800, DOC,
When this field began to show signs Of
exhaustion he followed developments into
tho Washington district the richest eyer
opened. There he invested $50, 600 In ne.
curing control Of 1000 acres, and 1t In
upon this that he has drilled the DO:
nsnza wells.
In strange contrast with the history OF
sMekeown is that OF James S. McCray.
now hving at Franklin, seven miles from
OIL City. McCray waa q farmer, owning
q large farm On top of OIL Creek hill.
near Petroleum Center, Venango county,
the very place where Mckeown began TO |
work With pick and shovel, The early
oil excitement s1rged down OIL Creek |
valley, but In those days it was mot be-.
1leyed that oil could be found by driIinr
on the hills. n SO MIR. McCray attended |
70 his bees and cows on the summit and
saw his neighhors In the valley growing
rich almost In a night, After q few years
it was found that a hill was no bar to =
Dig OIL WELL provided tho sand rock under
g Was Of the right quality, and the Mo
Gray farm proved to he ston the belt u !
One Thousand dollars an acrs was tb,
bonus which Mr.. MeCray received. )
an eighth, and In some inst4pS etnd
quarter, of the old. AT that ttusk 5es q
worth 50 and SO a barrel, iass : oil was
as now. Wells were drills end OF zoe.
or chs MoCray farm abr . on portions
the derricks could be lost as close Ms
ing room for wagr At together, leav-
them. For some ms to drive between
come from the W lime Mr.. McCrHy's in
time q coppl u and day. AT the same
business !, of McCray's children, of a
on Che = arm, had erected an appls stand
Woaes oadside leading up the hill to the
nlet .rfuSfarm, and were catching odd
els from the crowds OF curious sight.
.ers. The great geysers In the valley 81
Oh Creek had dbeen exhsusted for soms
time, and Mr.. McGara believed, with
many others, that cl was bound to adj
vance In price. He sold enough Of hi.
production at s. a barrel to meet currsn'
expenses and enjoy life, aud McCray has
i great deal OF fun for twelve month O
more, but ne INFESTED a great deal q
money iii building monster iron tank
and storing his oil. The market had be
gun to sag, largely FROM the great pro
duction of the McCray farm, and Mr.. Nc
Cray concluded to tank his oil ard wal
for q better price. he kept storing hi
productions until he had 100, 900 barrel
in tank near his bonanza farm at petro
lYum Center. The market had got below
s5 q barrel, Mr.. McGray was offsre'
S4.a75 a barrel for his srocks. but he heis
out for 80. He said that he, had set thu
figure on the oil, and he would not tax
less. He had plenty Of money without
and unless some one came along witt
half a million dollars for his 100, 900 bar
reis he would leave 1t In tank. It wa
not long until the market broke to "a
then to 80, and still MoCray continued t.
enjoy himself and hold his oil for So. Hi
~ x,,rtl~ n .,Ja val nrf /. III ~ ~,.fyn "a